In previous posts, we discussed how the world views parenthood and how God views parenthood. The contrast couldn’t be starker. While the world sees having children as a burden, God sees it as a blessing. Now, what exactly does that statement mean? Perhaps we struggle to understand God’s perspective on children as a blessing because we haven’t fully grasped the concept of a blessing itself.
Having children is expensive, that’s a fact. Even more so, considering the countless things that parents, though not strictly necessary, deem essential. According to a study in Spain, a family with two working parents will dedicate over 40% of their salary exclusively to covering child-related costs, nearly €1200 per month.[1] Additionally, having a child is exhausting. The thought of countless sleepless nights, sacrificing your freedom, no longer having time for yourself, and this situation persisting for many years, deters many people from considering parenthood. Furthermore, children can push our buttons. They have an uncanny ability to test the limits of our patience and exceed them effortlessly. In summary, having children is a massive sacrifice that demands I set aside money, enjoyment, travel, hobbies, and free time to dedicate myself to another person.
According to our society and mindset, this is often the antithesis of a blessing. How can it be a good thing to stop seeking my own satisfaction? Can God’s blessing result in me having less of almost everything? Is divine blessing really that expensive? Perhaps we should heed the words spoken by the Master two thousand years ago in his most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount. There, Jesus speaks about those who truly enjoy God’s blessing, in the section we know as “the Beatitudes” (Matthew 5:3-16). Who are the blessed, or those blessed by God? Notice, they are “the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3), “those who mourn” (Matthew 5:4), “the meek” (Matthew 5:5), “those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake” (Matthew 5:10), and those who are insulted, persecuted, and falsely accused (Matthew 5:11). How could Christ say such things? How can someone be happy and at the center of God’s blessing while being persecuted and insulted? Is Christianity a kind of masochism?
The apostle Paul gives an example of what it means to seek divine blessing correctly. He himself affirms “because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me, lest I be exalted above measure” (2 Corinthians 12:7). It seems that Paul had some physical ailment and begged God to take it away, but the divine blessing for him, in this case, consisted of allowing him to face the painful reality of his illness, but with a dramatic change in mindset. Of course, Paul would have loved for the Lord to deliver him from pain, but God had a better plan, a secret blessing for him. The divine blessing consisted in the ability to rest in God amidst circumstances, not in being delivered from difficult circumstances: “He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness'” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
What did Jesus mean by the Beatitudes? What blessing did Paul receive? The answer lies in the fact that God blesses us with things that, although uncomfortable and demanding of sacrifice, help us become who we should be. God’s plan is for us to be like Christ (Romans 8:29), not for us to be more comfortable or have more money.
It is precisely in this sense that children are a blessing for us. Of course, having a child is a huge sacrifice, but a sacrifice that is like a rocket propelling us to set aside our selfishness and seek the well-being of others above our own.
In a conversation with parents and grandparents of children, while picking up my children from school, a grandmother mentioned that the mother of one of my daughter’s classmates always complained because having children had ruined their lives. They used to travel a lot and live freely, but now they had to stay home and spend money on kids. It may be hard to let go of freedom, but the reality is that having children frees us from many of the foolish things we all have in our heads!
Children are expensive, they steal our sleep, and they drive us crazy, but they are a blessing from heaven for many reasons, the first of which is that they help me understand that God doesn’t want my life to be easy, but rather for my life to be holy. That is His great purpose, for me to be more like Christ, and for that, I need my three little blessings, for whom I am very grateful.
I want to end by quoting a paragraph from a book that, God willing, will be published next year:
My children are a blessing from my God, a blessing so great that no trip, no comfort, and no tranquility will ever pay for it. The reality is that I have no need to go on a cruise in the Caribbean, but I need everything that God gives me through these three little ones to be who I should be. This time, with all its uncertainties, its losses of patience, its restlessness, and its deficiencies, is the best time of my life, in which God is working with me the most. Without vacations, without rest, and without patience, this is the time when I am happiest and have a fuller life than ever before. My children are one of the greatest gifts God has given me, and being their father is one of the greatest honors He has bestowed upon me, an honor I do not deserve. They are precious, they bring joy to my life, and they help me get through when I can’t take it anymore. They are an instrument in the hands of my Lord to push me to take steps in the right direction.[2]
[1] https://reportajes.lavanguardia.com/cuanto-cuesta-tener-un-hijo/ . Access October 11, 2024.
[2] Pozo, Miguel Ángel, Paparruchas: Mentiras que creemos, verdades que ignoramos (Patmos, 2025).
